AP Gov Released Questions- Unit 1

All of the following were concerns about the Articles of Confederation that led to the calling of the Constitutional Convention EXCEPT A) dissatisfaction over safeguards of individual rights and liberties B) fear for the stability of the central government C) desire to promote trade among the states D) the need to give the central government the power to levy taxes E) dissatisfaction with the central government's ability to provide for the national defense

A

Cooperative federalism can best be described by which of the following statements? A) Different levels of government are involved in common policy areas B) Government must have cooperation from the people in order to make legislative decisions C) Local levels of government can make decisions on issues more efficiently than state and national governments can D) The federal government must make regulations that can be applied across every state in the same way E) Business and government can work together to more effectively accomplish shared goals

A

Diversity of public policy throughout the United States is primarily a consequence of A) federalism B) separation of powers C) innovation within bureaucratic agencies D) decentralization in the Senate E) lack of party discipline in the House

A

Nominations to the Supreme Court must be approved by a A) simple majority vote in the Senate only B) simple majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate C) two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives only D) two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate E) two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives and the Senate and a majority of the sitting justices on the Supreme Court

A

Supreme Court justices were given tenure subject to good behavior by the framers of the Constitution in order to ensure that A) justices are free from direct political pressures B) justices remain accountable to the public C) justices are encouraged to make politically popular decisions D) cooperation between the judicial and legislative branches is assured E) Presidents are encouraged to seek younger nominees for the Supreme Court

A

The main intent of "motor voter" laws is to A) increase voter registration B) increase voter turnout by providing transportation to polls for people without cars C) increase the rate at which incumbents are reelected to office D) prevent states from using literacy requirements for voting E) allow sixteen year olds to vote if they have a valid driver's license

A

The reserved powers of the state governments can best be described as those powers A) not specifically granted to the national government or denied to the states B) implied in the Fifth Amendment C) listed specifically in the Tenth Amendment D) exercised by both the national and state governments E) granted to states as part of the implied powers doctrine

A

Which of the following is argued by James Madison in Federalist 10? A) a system of republican representation helps to limit the excesses of factionalism B) small republics are better able to ensure individual liberty than large republics C) the presence of few large factions helps to protect the rights of minorities D) participatory democracy is the surest way to prevent democracy E) the elimination of the causes of factionalism is the best protection against tyranny

A

Which of the following is the best example of a categorical grant? A) Money given to states for special education programs B) Money given to individuals in the form of tax rebates C) Money given to states unconditionally D) Money given to states to spend at their discretion on transportation E) Money given directly to private business for economic development

A

Which of the following is true about the right of free speech, as currently interpreted by the Supreme Court? A) It protects the right to express opinions even without the actual use of words B) It protects the use of language deemed obscene by the courts C) It allows citizens to disobey laws that they believe to be unjust D) It is protected from infringement by the federal governments E) It cannot be limited in any manner

A

Which of the following is true of a presidential veto of a piece of legislation? A) it is rarely overridden by Congress B) it is not binding unless supported by the cabinet C) it can only be sustained on revenue bills D) it is automatically reviewed by the United States Supreme Court E) it is subject to approval by a congressional committee

A

Which of the following is true of both members of the House of Representatives and senators? A) they must be citizens of the United States B) they serve two-year terms of office C) they can have their election chances directly affected by reapportionment D) they must be at least thirty years of age E) they must have statewide appeal in order to get elected

A

Fiscal policies refer to the government's power to A) regulate specific industries B) tax and spend C) reapportion congressional seats D) control the supply of money E) enforce treaties

B

In the United States, which of the following is a rule on voting found in the Constitution or its amendments? A) no person may be denied the right to vote merely for lack of either state or federal citizenship B) no person eighteen years or older may be denied the right to vote on account of age C) no person may be denied the right to vote merely because he or she has previously served a prison sentence D) a state may not establish a residency requirement for voting E) a state may require a person to pay a poll tax in order to register to vote

B

One of the formal tools used by Congress for oversight of the bureaucracy is A) the line-item veto B) authorization of spending C) impoundment bills D) private bills E) senatorial courtesy

B

The framers of the United States Constitution left decisions on voting eligibility to the A) civil rights agencies B) individual states C) United States Supreme Court D) House of Representatives E) Senate

B

The number of justices on the United States Supreme Court is set by A) national convention B) Congress C) the president D) the United States Constitution E) the American Bar Association

B

The president's role of chief diplomat is derived from A) informal powers B) delegated powers C) concurrent powers D) reserved powers E) expressed powers

B

Under the Articles of Confederation, which of the following were true? I. Congress could not tax the states directly II. The executive branch of government exercised more power than Congress III. Congress was a unicameral body IV. States were represented in Congress proportionally according to population A) I and II B) I and III C) I and IV D) II and III E) II and IV

B

Which of the following procedures results in the removal of President from office? A) the House and Senate vote for impeachment, and the Supreme Court reaches a guilty verdict B) the House votes for impeachment, and the Senate conducts the trial and reaches a guilty verdict C) the House and Senate both vote for a bill of impeachment D) only the House votes for a bill of impeachment E) a criminal court find the President guilty of "high crimes and misdemeanors"

B

Which of the following statements about Congress is true? A) members of Congress only occasionally are interested in and pay attention to constituents B) the legislative process is frequently lengthy, decentralized, and characterized by compromise and bargaining C) lobbyists and political action committees (PAC's) successfully induce most members of Congress to trade their votes for campaign contributions D) the growth in the size of Congress as an organization is the principal cause of growth in the federal budget deficit E) debate in both houses is structured by elaborate rules enacted by leaders of the majority party

B

A prominent example of the process of returning more of the responsibilities of governing from the national level to the state level is A) immigration reform B) trade reform C) welfare reform D) campaign finance reform E) national security reform

C

All of the following are ways that the legislative branch can check the powers of the executive branch EXCEPT A) Congress may remove the president through its impeachment and conviction powers. B) Congress may override a presidential veto. C) Congress may pass a law declaring a presidential action unconstitutional. D) The Senate may refuse to approve a presidential appointment. E) The Senate may refuse to approve a treaty negotiated by the president

C

Interest groups and political parties both promote United States democracy by A) expressing detailed, ideologically distinct programs B) centralizing public authority C) linking citizens to the political progress D) increasing domination of the political process by elites E) lobbying members of Congress

C

One example of constitutional checks and balances is A) the president declares war, but Congress appropriates military funds B) the president nominates cabinet members, and the House hold confirmation hearings C) the House can impeach federal judges and the president, and the Senate hold the impeachment trial D) Congress can override United States Supreme Court decisions on the constitutionality of laws E) presidential vetoes of lows can be overridden by a simple majority vote by both the House and the Senate

C

The constitutional powers of the president include all of the following EXCEPT A) acting as head of the military B) vetoing legislation C) declaring war D) granting pardons E) appointing ambassadors

C

The debates between Federalists and AntiFederalists were primarily about which of the following issues? A) The right of the people to rebel B) The existence of slavery C) The scope of power of the central government D) The need to establish a standard currency E) The representation of large and small states

C

The importance of Shays' Rebellion to the development of the United States Constitution was that it A) revealed the necessity of both adding the Bill of Rights to the Constitution and creating a new system of checks and balances B) demonstrated the intensity of anti ratification sentiment within the thirteen states C) indicated that a strong, constitutional designed national government was needed to protect property and maintain order D) convinced the delegated attending the Constitutional Convention to accept the Connecticut Plan E) reinforced the idea that slavery should be outlawed in the thirteen states

C

Which of the following is NOT a core value of United States political culture? A) legal equality B) political equality C) economic equality D) freedom of religion E) freedom of speech

C

Which of the following is the most likely consequence of divided government? A) Reorganization of the federal bureaucracy B) Conflicts between states C) Delays in confirmation of federal court nominees D) Conflicts between national government and states E) Elimination of the seniority rule in Congress

C

Which of the following is true about the pocket veto? A) It is used to strike down a provision of a bill that the President finds disagreeable. B) It may be overridden by a two-thirds vote in Congress. C) It occurs when the President takes no action on a bill for ten days during which Congress is adjourned. D) It is used when the President expects to reach a compromise with Congress about how a bill should be modified. E) It is used when both houses of Congress pass separate versions of the same bill.

C

Which of the following policies involves more state spending than federal spending? A) military policy B) social security C) education D) medicare E) veteran's affairs

C

Which of the following statements about the Senate is true? A) Each state is represented in the Senate according to its population B) The Senate, unlike the House, has a Rules Committee C) Individual senators can exercise substantial influence over the legislative process D) The Senate has a strict time limit on debates E) The Senate is more responsible than the House for initiating appropriations legislation

C

Enumerated powers of the federal government include all of the following EXCEPT the power to A) coin money B) declare war C) regulate interstate commerce D) regulate intrastate commerce E) tax

D

Giving state governments greater discretion in deciding how to achieve the specific goals of welfare reform is an example of A) an unfunded mandate B) implied powers C) dual federalism D) devolution E) affirmative action

D

In a federal system of government, political power is primarily A) vested in local governments B) vested in the regional governments C) vested in the central government D) divided between the central government and regional governments E) divided between the regional governments and the local governments

D

Presidents have had the most success in changing the direction of decisions of the federal judiciary by A) threatening to ask Congress to impeach specific judges B) using the media to build consensus for the President's position C) requesting that Congress reduce the term of office that judges may serve D) using the appointment process to select judges with judicial philosophies similar to those of the President E) pressuring Congress to pass the appropriate legislation to override judicial opinions

D

The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in A) a White House budget resolution B) the Congressional Budget Office C) the United States Senate D) the United States House of Representatives E) the Office of Management and Budget

D

The Supreme Court's power of judicial review permits the Court to overrule all of the following EXCEPT A) lower-court decisions B) state legislation C) acts of Congress D) the Bill of Rights E) executive orders

D

Which of the following actions can Congress take if the Supreme Court finds a federal law unconstitutional? A) appeal the Court's decision to the District of Colombia's Court of Appeals B) formally request the President to veto the Court's decision C) remove certain members of the Court and replace them with new members D) try amend the Constitution E) reenact the same law

D

Which of the following forms of financial aid from the national government gives the states the broadest discretion in the spending of money? A) categorical grants-in-aid B) foreign aid C) unfunded mandates D) block grants E) military funding

D

Which of the following is an example of checks and balances, as established by the Constitution? A) A requirement that states lower their legal drinking age to eighteen as a condition of receiving funds through federal highway grant programs B) Media criticism of public officials during an election campaign period C) The Supreme Court's ability to overturn a lower court decision D) The requirement that presidential appointments to the Supreme Court be approved by the Senate E) The election of the President by the electoral college rather than by direct election

D

Which of the following is true of most federal originate in judges appointed by the president? A) They serve ten-year terms. B) They serve as long as the appointing president stays in power. C) They serve for life on good behavior unless removed by the president. D) They serve for life on good behavior unless impeached and convicted by Congress. E) They serve for life and are not subject to congressional impeachment

D

All of the following have contributed to an increase in presidential power in the post-1945 era EXCEPT A) tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War period B) an increase in public expectations for services from the federal government C) economic and domestic problems such as inflation, unemployment, and civil rights issues D) increasing United States involvement in international affairs E) legislation granting the President the power to impound funds appropriated by Congress

E

All of the following powers are granted to the President by the Constitution EXCEPT A) commissioning officers in the armed forces B) addressing the Congress on the state of the union C) receiving ambassadors D) granting pardons for federal offenses E) forming new cabinet-level departments

E

Congressional legislative powers include all of the following EXCEPT A) legislating federal appropriations B) approval of treaties C) establishing a lower-court system D) passing federal laws E) pardoning felons

E

In The Federalist papers, James Madison argues that political liberty is best protected by A) a written constitution B) a small republic with a parliamentary system C) a small democracy with a unitary government D) well-regulated militias controlled by state governments E) the fragmentation of political power in a large republic

E

Most of the individual protections of the Bill of Rights now apply to the states because the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Constitution's A) preamble B) necessary and proper cause C) supremacy clause D) tenth amendment E) fourteenth amendment

E

The Americans with Disabilities Act, which provides protections for the disabled, is an example of A) state supremacy B) horizontal federalism C) affirmative action D) dual federalism E) a federal mandate

E

The Connecticut (Great) Compromise provided for A) all revenue bills to originate in the Senate B) all judicial appointments to be nominated by the president C) the elimination of the importation of slaves D) an electoral college and rules for the removal of the president E) a bicameral legislature with one house's composition based upon state population and another's on equal state representation

E

The Constitution and its amendments expressly prohibit all of the following EXCEPT A) slavery B) double jeopardy C) cruel and unusual punishment D) unreasonable searches and seizures E) sex discrimination in employment

E

The congressional power that has been contested most frequently in the federal courts is the power to A) establish post offices B) coin money C) levy taxes D) regulate commerce with foreign nations E) regulate interstate commerce

E

Unlike the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution does which of the following? A) Restricts the ability of Congress to tax. B) Restricts the ability of Congress to establish an army or navy. C) Establishes a unitary form of government. D) Emphasizes state sovereignty over national sovereignty. E) Emphasizes both national sovereignty and federalism

E

Which of the following United States Supreme Court cases established the principle of judicial review? A) McCulloch v. Maryland B) Gibbons v. Ogden C) Wolfv. Colorado D) Roe v. Wade E) Marbury v. Madison

E

Which of the following constitutional principles most directly addresses the relationship between the national and state governments? A) Checks and balances B) The Bill of Rights C) Separation of powers D) Representation E) Federalism

E

Which of the following is a fundamental element of the United States Constitution? A) Recognition of the centrality of political parties in government B) Direct election of members of the executive branch C) An executive branch that is more powerful than the legislature D) Emphasis on a unitary system of government E) Division of government authority across political institutions

E

Which of the following statements about political parties and the United States Constitution is true? A) According to the Constitution, only two major political parties may exist at any time B) The Constitution requires political parties to be restricted by both federal and state law C) The Constitution indicates that political party leaders at the national level be elected by political party leaders at the state level D) The Constitution specifies that political party leaders must be native-born United States citizens E) The issue of political parties is not addressed in the Constitution

E